Actor Janhvi Kapoor has broken her silence on the AI-altered video featuring her from the song Chuttamalle from the Telugu film Devara: Part 1. Condemning the misuse of technology to objectify women, the actor called the circulation of fictionalised content without consent “deeply violating” and said it was “bordering on sexual assault”.
In a detailed statement, the 29-year-old actor addressed the larger issue of women being targetted through digitally manipulated content. She wrote, “The criminal misuse of technology to objectify women and circulate fictionalised content without consent is deeply violating, bordering on sexual assault. Almost every woman in my industry has faced some version of this, and women everywhere are increasingly being subjected to it.”
The actor stressed that consent and respect for a woman’s body should not be treated as complicated concepts. “Consent, choice and respect for a woman’s body should be among the most basic notions of humanity, yet somehow, they continue to be treated as complicated. They are not,” she wrote.
Janhvi also highlighted the regardless of what she wears or what she may have consented to in the past. She said the issue was much bigger than the controversial video or anything she may have personally experienced during her career.
“It is about the larger reality of being a woman, the gaze, the judgement, the constant negotiation for safety, and the feeling that our boundaries somehow remain open to interpretation,” she wrote.
The Bawaal actor further pointed out that the threat women face has now extended into the digital space, even as physical safety remains an everyday concern. Towards the end of her statement, Janhvi thanked those from the film industry who had spoken up in her support. She thanked her Devara co-star for taking a strong stand against the video and condemning the violation.
“I am deeply touched by NTR sir for taking such a strong stand and condemning this violation. Thank you, sir. When someone whom millions look up to speaks up about something that may not directly concern him, it makes a difference to every woman who has experienced some degree of this behaviour,” she added.
Janhv and Khushbu Sundar for amplifying the issue and calling for action against what she described as “this mentality and these immoral practices”.
The controversy erupted after an AI-generated video using footage of Janhvi and Jr NTR from Chuttamalle was circulated widely on social media. The digitally manipulated video altered Janhvi’s appearance to depict her in a sexually explicit and degrading manner before it was taken down.
and called it “disgusting, sick and shameless”. He even demanded legal action against those responsible.
Meanwhile, Janhvi is no stranger to being subjected to unwarranted sexualisation on screen. Previously, her portrayal of Achiyyamma in director Buchi Babu Sana and actor Ram Charan’s sports drama Peddi sparked debate after critics and audiences called out the makers for and trivialising consent under the guise of romance.
Released in September 2024, Devara: Part 1 stars Jr NTR and in the lead roles. Chuttamalle, composed by Anirudh Ravichander and sung by Shilpa Rao, was one of the film’s popular tracks.